Wear the Same Thing Every Day and Become a Cartoon Character

It’s New York Fashion Week here in…New York and I’m celebrating by wearing the exact same thing to work two days in a row.

Granted, this “decision” arose more out of circumstance rather than intent, but I believe it has offered me some important lessons.

“You’ll worry less about what people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.” – source unknown

No one has noticed I’m doing this. I’m flying under the radar. I have a subdued, tasteful normcore look as it is, so people aren’t often drawn to what I’m wearing.

“I love wearing the exact same thing all the time because I think it makes you like a cartoon character. They always wear the same outfit and everybody always remembers them for it, so I feel like I should do the same thing.” – Ke$ha

As I see myself looking the same between yesterday and today, I remember some of my favorite cartoon characters. Fry from Futurama, the South Park gang, Homer Simpson, and other legendary cartoon icons become iconic because they wear the same thing every day. Wearing the same thing every day establishes your brand.

This would be the kind of brand Steve Jobs cultivated by wearing black turtlenecks, jeans, and white sneakers. This is partially what Mark Zuckerberg does with his gray t-shirt deal. Though Mark’s reasoning is more about freeing up precious decision-making resources to CEO a social capital megacompany.

“I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community…I’m in this really lucky position, where I get to wake up every day and help serve more than a billion people. And I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life.” – Mark “The Zucc” Zuckerberg

I was worried. From a fashion standpoint, this is a risky move. For some people, this would be fashion suicide. Again, this arose out of circumstance, but I am ultimately better for the experience. Worrying less about what others think. Honoring the legendary figures of the animated world. Developing a personal brand through clothing choice. Freeing up mental resources to noodle through how to best serve my community by making and sharing this post.